r&n, great dress! would be very cute with a black cardigan & black, grey, metallic, or even my new cognac ballets! in fact why don't you send me the dress so i can see how they work together

juliette, good for you! i think you do have to be picky ... basically you are whittling down to the 20% you'll really wear upfront--with no 80% waste. i think rayon or silk would be good, not sure how you plan to clean. loose fit will really help it last longer. i think your budget is reasonable for a white shirt--but i wouldn't recommend spending $100s on it. also if you layer it, that will help it last.

__________________There's a need for more individuality today, and my job is to cater to women, not dictate to them. --Alber Elbaz

Thanks to Betinapple, twistelette and Fashionista-ta for the nice words about my dress! Ta-ta, no way I'm gonna send it over :p I love several aspects of it so well: the neckline, the open back, the full skirt, the print, the color... it is like a perfect combination for me. I have tried it with a black short sleeved cardigan, that looks so cute. And to my surprise it does look better with ballerinas than with heels, even if I'm short. I do plan to get a new pair of ballerinas this spring/summer but it also looks nice with my burgundy ones.

Metallic shoes: My metallic boots that I bought in December have a bit of a "used look". The color and the leather have always been a bit uneven. I think that helps. There might be some new scruffs but they aren't really disturbing.

Three pair of shoes a year: I don't think that's too much. Actually shoes are definitely among the best things that one can buy - if they are good quality. So worth the investment! A well designed shoe can make a simple outfit look really great. I usually buy about four pairs of shoes a year and I could buy many more

betinapple: I'd also suggest leather instead of suede for the new black pumps. says the woman whose biggest purchase last year was a pair of black suede boots (and very beautiful they are, too!)
staying within your budget and getting three pairs of good quality shoes will require some strategizing, yes... it'll just be a question of amping up what I believe you're doing already: prioritizing, and trying to find the best quality items for as good a price possible. you might need to invest more time than money in the latter part of the strategy, going through sales with a fine comb
if you already have some other summer sandals that will work, maybe the heeled sandals you mentioned might be put on the back burner? you can then focus on finding great black pumps, and start the search for the nude pumps in the early fall - unless you'd bump into the perfect pair before then!
if you know you have some items on your list that will be more than your monthly budget, it might help to see your budget as a budget for the year? how keeping a budget in mind works to keep you motivated and on top of your spending works so differently for different people, though...

Suede/leather: I own a black and brown pair of suede pumps and they still look fine to me. I've been wearing them quite a lot but they didn't suffer that much. I would buy leather but somehow it looks like everything is either suede or patent these days?! Especially with pumps... I actually see very few normal leather pumps. I would love to get a black Roger Vivier pump some day but they always sell out soooo quickly. I must go to Paris some day to visit that store but it's fine if that happens in ten years

Denim jacket: I want to buy a denim jacket this season. I haven't been wearing one since I was sixteen Can someone tell me what to look for in a denim jacket? I guess denim is denim so this doesn't have to be a designer item. I've seen a nice one with a dégradé effect, it's dark blue at the shoulders and getting lighter towards the waist. But I'm not sure if I should rather buy a simple version? Washed out or dark? I usually wear dark blue jeans but maybe I should rather buy a very light one in case I ever want to wear it with my jeans? What do you think?

betinapple: more and more I see the value of a good shoe for an outfit, so investing in three pairs in a year doesn't seem all that outrageous to me. are the black suede pumps anything a good cobbler might work with to give them a new lease on life? the route you described sounds good, to focus on one pair at a time in the order you described, and to also keep an open mind should you bump into the perfect nude pump in, say, april.

eizhowa: busty + french = brigitte bardot, non? I get what you mean though, I was hesitant about horizontal stripe for a long time... but I've found that the cut and the material of a breton top are what matters most - if the material is too stiff, you''ll lose your waist, and if the material is too flimsy the top will just look cheap. you'll know the right top when you see it! filippa k has a pretty great one in their collection this spring.

julliette: yes, be picky! you know the items that you want, don't settle for less than love.

So right in regards to Julliette. I think that's what the 4-5 piece wardrobe is about at the end of the day. High street takes our desires and makes them in those cheaper versions. It looks JUST like what we want but it truly isn't due to workmanship and fabrications. It's really tricky to decide when to pull the trigger and when to go the high street route.

__________________
"The one thing that always scares me is to be like the Miss America of the moment, because next year there is a new Miss America" - Alber

as far as suede ... i still buy it sometimes, but the problem i've had is if you get stuck in the rain, you really have a problem. had this happen with ferragamo navy suede maryjanes. it was a good quality shoe, but suede is suede ... so you really have to keep an eagle eye out for the weather ... and it can't be a linchpin shoe since you won't always be able to wear it.

i had a ralph lauren pretty classic, slightly weathered denim jacket for many years that i was really happy with. then i either lost it or it was stolen ... otherwise i'd have it still. i have never replaced it as i seem to be ok without it, but i wore it all the time as a light jacket.

__________________There's a need for more individuality today, and my job is to cater to women, not dictate to them. --Alber Elbaz

My recent purchases really reflects how I am feeling. Cold. I bought two cashmere sweaters in jan/feb When the winter began I only had flowy blouses and one cashmere pajamas-top. I stayed in a lot in December

I bought them online, but I had to return them because they didn't mention in the item description that the sweaters were VERY generously cut. Had to go down 3 sizes more than they suggested I'm through with everything oversized... Realized it made me look TINY (vertically, not horizontally...)

There was a lot of temptations in their sales-department this year, because they had every item in "my color". I think I was very good for not buying everything, but sticking to what I needed and what would last longer than one wash. * Pats myself on back *

I don't know if I should be proud or angry at myself...
I went to some stores with my mom and I didn't purchase any clothing. The only thing I got from her was a silver ring with wings, which I adore and have been wearing constantly. I had loads of other items in my hands, but they were all from H&M... I checked all of the materials and almost everything was poliester, so I just ended up putting it back. That part I'm definitely proud of, because if this happened a month ago, I would have bought all of that and then some. The problem is, instead of saving my money for my next buy, I ended up buying books, makeup, haircare... I did need some new foundation and shampoo, but I also got some things which I really did NOT need and now I have nothing left. I'm really disappointed in myself, I don't know what my problem is, but my mentality is just to spend, spend, spend. I really have to get a grip on myself, I really think I'm verging on the shopaholic territory!
Thankfully, I'm getting paid on Friday, so I'll have some money, but I hate seeing it just disappear like this. This time, I'll make a plan of what to buy and I'll follow it!

I feel like we are in the same boat when it comes to spending. When I stop buying clothes like a maniac, my book collection starts to grow very quickly... I was always told you cannot spend to much money on books so I am not sure what to make of it If you read your books I think they are definitely worth it.

Sometimes I wish Ebay and Amazon would just go bankrupt or something. As a student I spend a lot of time in front of the computer and the temptation to shop online as a distraction is so big! Everything in my local shops is so expensive and when I see stuff on Ebay at half the price my brain just stops working

I am definitely familiar with the book shopping issue. My bookcase is already double stacked and I have about 60 books in my tbr pile but I find myself fancying new ones on amazon or thebookdepository!

@Twistelette: great point! I guess my biggest problem is that where I before loved investing the time in finding the right pieces it does not interest me these days. I do not like to browse especially because I risk getting tempted by something I do not need. I am pretty good at staying focused but I do slip occasionally. The economics is not a problem however since I know I'll be saving some money for being able to buy shoes.

@RedAndNavy: I would go for a light denim jacket. I prefer light denim - it also looks great for summer and in that way it wont look to matchy-matchy with your dark blue jeans.

@Fashionista-ta: So true regarding suede. I will buy it (last season I bought a pair of red suede Anniel ballet flats) but not for shoes that I need to wear a lot and all season. The problem with my suede pumps is that they've become muddy due to the lovely danish weather and after cleaning them they do not look that good.

@Eizhowa: Well done! I really understand you regarding oversiezed items. It just does not work for me since not matter what size I am, I am to curvy.
@Juliette: Good job! I think many people fall into that "buying something else"-trap. I think you'll just have to get used to your new situation and learn from your mistakes

Me: Boy this is embarrasing. I just remembered that I have another pair of sandals. A pair of honey coloured nubuck ones perfect for every day use due to a wide heel. Oops. Maybe I will not need to buy anymore sandals after all. Especially because I prefer closed shoes most of the time. The only problem is that the sandals I've got does not go very well with most of my midiskirts, but I'll just have to wear them with ballet flats instead.

Also I have really been doubting wether to buy pumps or not. It is something that you SHOULD have in your wardrobe, but I've gotten lazy and prefer flats. Actualy for the previous weekend's wedding party I wore black ballet flats with my pink party dress instead of pumps. What to do? Sometimes I do wear a dress that "needs" heels but honestly I'd rather spend my money on something I will use more than high heels.

Bettinapple: Audrey Hepburn often wore flats with dresses I have used that as an excuse to not wear heels in the past I think it can be very cute. Heels can sometimes make you look like you are trying to hard (I know, I have issues). I tried to find a picture I have of her in a cocktail dress and ballet flats, but of course once I need it it ran away and hid:/

The picture below isn't a candid like the one I was looking for, but you get the idea.

@Eizhowa: you are right. But.. I have issues too and sometimes think my legs look to short when wearing a midi dress/skirt and flats Maybe I should just buy midi skirts in the right length for future reference. I have a gorgeous yellow one which lookes perfect with ballet flats.